Magic of the Night
by couldahadav8
Summary: After the tragic death of her father, Gabriella's spins out of control. Then Gabriella meets Ryan Evans, and finds herself longing, more than ever, to be normal. But what's normal for a werewolf? And what happens when an old flame returns? Ryella Troyella
1. Prolouge

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September 17, 2005

She raised her arms and basked in the light of the glorious moon. She loved the night. It intensified everything, sights, smells, sounds, tastes; and bathed them in its beautiful silvery rays of light.

Across the woods, she could hear the rest of the pack celebrating the coming of the harvest moon. It was always the greatest time of the year, this year especially. Her grin deepened as she thought about what the coming of the full moon would mean this year.

Of course full moons were always sacred to the loups-garous; no one could resist _the change _in its presence. As a result, the most sacred traditions, and important trials, always took place during full moons. As they approached, the pack's energy would escalate and rapidly become out of control. If her father hadn't threatened them with humiliation and death, they probably would've torn apart the entire town. Unchecked incidents like this were what had led to all the prejudice against werewolves.

Of all the moons, the harvest moons had always been the most anticipated. It was the time when the moon seemed to swell to thrice its size and radiated enough of its sweet beams to light the entire forest like a carnival. Loups-garous are at their peak during the harvest moon and, by tradition, hunt its most dangerous prey by the moon's brightest light (excluding humans).

But the hunt wasn't what excited her, her birthday was. This year, Gabriella Montez would turn fifteen, the age of _the change. _Soon she'd be able to run with the pack instead of sitting at home with the silly pups. Then no one would be able to laugh at her ideas and call her "puppy." She hated being the youngest. But it wouldn't matter anymore.

She was sitting back thinking about how to wipe the smirk off their faces when she felt a change in the air. The sweet, carefree flow had been replaced with an intensity that warned her to run for her life. Something was terribly wrong.

The screams and the smell of smoke only confirmed these suspicions as she sprinted back to the village. She burst through the clearing and staggered backwards at the sight in front of her. She felt numb as she watched the fires devour the only home she'd ever known.

She was pulled out of her trance by the sorrowful wail emitting from a few feet away from her. "They did it on purpose," the woman cried hugging her baby. "They're trying to burn us out!"

"Get her into the truck. Now!" a male voice shouted back.

Everything turned into a swirling blur of confusion as everyone shouted out directions and piled into vehicles before speeding away. But in the midst of the chaos one thing was for certain, it wasn't safe here anymore.

"Well find her!" a voice said. The voice sounded desperate and overwhelmed but the authority in his voice was unmistakable. Gabriella ran towards the voice and threw her arms around its source.

"Daddy," she sobbed.

Javier sighed in relief and gave her a bone crushing squeeze. Then he quickly whisked her away and put her into a waiting van.

"I love you Ella, never doubt that. And don't worry, everything will be okay." Then he slammed the door and the van sped away.

Gabriella screamed as she watched her father's silhouette become fainted and fainter, until it was no longer visible. She fought against the strong arms that were preventing her from unlocking the door and jumping out of the van. She screamed and cried, hit, bit, punched, kicked, and flailed for two hours straight, but the arms never let up. Finally the nightmare gave way to darkness and Gabriella passed into a dreamless sleep and the arms finally loosened.

The driver chuckled and said to his passenger, "She's a fighter isn't she? Just like her father." The first part was in good humor, the second was solemn.

"Yes:" was the passenger's only reply. He stared down at the girl on his lap. Her perfect skin was stained by tears and her usually bright eyes were swollen and puffy. He'd make sure that nothing like this would ever happen to her again. "I promise." he whispered in her ear. Then Troy redirected his attention to his companion and said, "So, how long until we get to Albuquerque?"

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**A/N- Thank you SO MUCH for reading. Please press the pretty blue button and tell me what you think! :-)**


	2. Notice

A/N- poem from_ Blood and Chocolate_

**Monday, October 15, 2008:**

The sun was just starting to come up when she walked outside. A smile covered her face as the morning air greeted her with a gentle breeze. It was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

Last night had been the first time in months that she hadn't had that dream. And after the goodnight's sleep, she felt reborn.

Gabriella bounded down the steps, threw her bag over her shoulder, and began to jog steadily down the street. The rush of air blew her chocolate brown curls out behind her and people started to stare. Gabriella tried to shrug it off, this always seemed to happen. She told herself that it was just because must teens stayed inside all day instead of actually exercising. Or maybe it was just becuase it was so early and most human teens don't wake up for another hour or so. They thought she was abnormal, different, unique, and that's what worried her.

Were her teeth too sharp? Could they see the shadow of her pelt? _It's hard **not** to be wolf_, she thought. Could they tell? Is that why everyone seemed to avoid her? She knew they noticed her. Girls watched her in the halls and stopped talking when she walked into the room. Guys elbowed their friends when she walked by and blushed when she spoke to them. They noticed her, but, for some reason unknown to Gabriella, they avoided her at all costs.

_What's wrong with me? They would like me if they got to know me, right? No, I don't care, _she told herself. _I have the pack, I don't need humans. I don't care. _

But she did care. The pack was breaking into pieces and she didn't seem to belong anywhere.

When they'd first arrived in Albuquerque, they'd joined the already existing pack. But the packs didn't mix well and Gabriella's pack refused to listen to the elderly and sickly alpha. They demanded that he step aside and let a younger, healthier, more able leader to take control. He refused and, to make a long story short, the war began.

Of course nothing was official, everything attack was carried out through manipulation and with stealth; lots of black-mailing and threats. To counter the chaos, Benito, the alpha, set-up a council consisting of the most influential members of each pack and a spy network to prevent further attacks. But this only intensified the conflict and shredded any hopes of a peaceful reconsiliation.

_Only in Albuquerque_, she thought bitterly.

Her stomach turned to knots as she thought about how'd life had used to be. She yearned to return to the mountains, where humans were scarce, forests were lush, and she never had to pretend. Life had been so perfect before... NO! She couldn't think of that! She bared her teeth against the pain and kept on running. She pushed herself to go farther and faster to keep her mind off the burning sensation behind her eyes and the lump forming in her throat. Her legs started to tighten and her breathing became heavier. She smiled, this she could handle.

By the she reached the school, she was panting heavily and about to collaspe. She threw down her bag and fell to the ground. She breathed in the smell of the dew dampened grass and listened to the chirping of the insects and birds. Gabriella was completely at ease when something flew into her face. She shot up reflexively and grabbed it. She sighed when she realized that it was just their school's literary magazine.

Mr. Stephans, the art teacher, started the magazine to give the students a chance to "express themselves in a way other than words." He's one of those punk, artsy types who raved about expressionism. He's also the only human who didn't avoid her, in fact, she was his favorite pupil. So when he asked her to publish some of her drawings for the October edition, she'd agreed without a second thought. She regretted that decision now.

With her luck it'd end up next to some crappy poem about Halloween and turn her into even more of an outcast. She couldn't even look at it, instead she threw it into a trash can and went to prepare for homeroom.

By lunch the curiosity was killing her, so she went to see Mr. Stephans. She opened the door to his room and found him eating lunch on **_top _**of his desk and singing to whatever was playing through his headphones. She half laughed and half cleared her in an attempt to get his attention. Mr. Stephans had left the building, possibly even the world! Gabriella walked over to his desk and tapped him on the shoulder. He obviously wasn't expecting company because the tap caused him to dump his lunch, knock off his headphones, and fall off his desk.

"Who, what, wuuuuuuuuu... hello Miss Montez." he said as he tried to regain his compusure. "What can I do for my star pupil?"

Gabriella grinned at his antics, he was such an oversized puppy. "Hey Mr. Stephans, sorry to disturb you, it's just I..."

"Oh, now now, none of that now. It's always a pleasure to see you." he said with a wave of his hand. "Now, did you see your picture in the 'zine? Turned out perfectly!"

"No I didn't, actually that's why I wanted to..."

"WHAT?" he yelled, "You haven't seen it? Ugh Montez you need to get your priorities staightened out!" he teased. "You've been published! he sang."

Gabriella laughed, he always made a big deal out of everything. She watched as he babbled about the "art world" as he searched for a copy of the magazine under piles of papers; his room was a mess as usual. Gabriella brushed off an over-turned paint can and sat down to eat lunch. She had just finshed when he yelled, "FOUND IT!"

He ran towards her, almost taking out several eisels and sculptures in the process, and quickly directed her to the page. He began to ramble about the effect of her color choices but she didn't pay attentio, she was too entranced by what shared the page with her picture:

_**Wolf Change: Ryan Evans**_

_Corsair of the wood _

_discard your skin _

_your pallid, wormlike _

_vulnerability. _

_Corsiar of wood _

_exchange your skin _

_for pelt of dun _

_and brindle luxury. _

_A pentagram is burning _

_in your eyes _

_and soft, pale twists _

_of wolfbane _

_squeeze your heart. _

_A grinding pain _

_is writhering in your thighs _

_the crunch of bones _

_proclaims the change's start. _

_Pirate of the flesh _

_throw back your head _

_and part your jowls _

_to sing a lunar song. _

_The forest paths are dark _

_the night is long._

Impossible! Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse quickened. Who was this Ryan Evans and how did he know about the change? A mere human! And yet, she was intrigued. _Maybe I should talk to him, see if I approve of him?_ She smiled. Yes, that's exactly what she'd do. She'd meet this boy who wrote about the crunch of bones and the forest paths.

Gabriella snapped out of her trance: "Who's Ryan Evans?"


	3. Exchanges

Mr. Stephens stopped mid sentence, "What?'

"Ryan Evans, his poem is beside my picture, who is he?"

Mr. Stephens seemed baffled, "Evans, Evans, Eee.." suddenly his face lit up, "Oh Ryan Evans, of course. Sweet boy, kind of quiet, a little strange, but a gifted writer that's for sure. Miss Donahue and I were pairing the pictures with stories from her class and when she saw your masterpiece she immediately pulled out that poem. Perfect together aren't they. Although the poem gives me the creeps. I mean who..."

"Mr. Stephens," Gabriella said exasperatedly.

"Oh right, of course." he walked over to the window a motioned for her to come over. "In about," he glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes, he and his friends will gather in that general area," he said pointing to a secluded area by the steps.

"What's he look like?"

He scratched his head, "Well he's kind of tall, and always wears a hat. Why?"

"I don't know, just curious," she said. For once Mr. Stephens didn't respond. Gabriella spun around and saw him give her a knowing look. "It's not like that!" she said defensively. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "It's not!" she squeaked.

"Of course not!" he teased as he gathered up his lunch. "Stay as long as you'd like, just lock up when you leave 'kay?" he asked as he tossed her the keys.

"No prob! I'll leave your keys with Miss Ventura." It wasn't a secret that he liked her.

"You're the best." he said with a goofy grin as he stumbled out the door.

Gabriella leaned back on the window sill and waited for the mysterious Ryan Evans to appear. She was probably going to miss French, but Madame probably wouldn't notice, she never took attendance.

Thirty minutes passed and still no sign of him. Gabriella started to worry that he'd never show when a group of guys appeared and sat down at the very spot that she'd been shown earlier.

She pressed her nose to the glass and squinted her eyes, was that him? She couldn't tell. "Well," she said to herself, "I guess I'll just have to get a better look." Not that it took much convincing, the thought of getting closer to him sent her blood rushing wildly through her veins.

Gabriella quickly locked the door and ran to give Miss Ventura the keys. Soon she was outside on the steps. She sat on the railing and began to swing her legs as she watched the boys. There were four of them: one had a giant afro, one had short black hair, and the other two had hats on. A girl passed her and smiled at the boys. "Nice hat Jase, taking a page from Ry's book?" she said as she elbowed the one in a polo.

The other boy looked confused, "Ryan wrote a book?" he said. The rest of the group had come in during the exchange and groaned and threw their trash at him.

Gabriella smiled, evidently this was a daily occurrence. She turned her attention to the blonde boy. So that's you poet boy she said with a grin. She watched as the gang finished their lunch and split into smaller groups. Soon all that was left was Ryan, the clueless boy, and the dark haired girl with stockings. Showtime.

__

Why an I even bothering? Maybe because I'm a pirate of the night and I want to know who's trespassing on my territory,

she thought. She laughed and stood up. _What am I thinking. What am I going to say? Hey I like your poem?_ Gabriella groaned. That was so lame! But oh well, what else could she do. _Maybe I should make him look!_ she smiled mischievously.

She pulled off her shirt revealing in tiny, white tank, fluffed her hair, and put a sway in her walk. His clueless friend, Jason, noticed her first. He tried to speak but the effort only resulted in causing him to look like a fish. She couldn't resist, she winked and the boy looked away blushing. Gabriella glanced at the girl and saw her glare and wrinkle her nose in obvious distaste.

Gabriella glared back. _Careful honey_, she thought, _my bark isn't nearly as bad as my bite_.

Ryan turned to see what had stolen his friends' attention and, to Gabriella's delight, widened his eyes at the sight of her. "Do I know you?" he asked amusedly.

"Probably not," she responded. She walked closer. "I liked your poem in the zine."

Surprise and confusion covered his face. But he managed to choke out a, "thanks!"

Gabriella smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. _He's nervous. Don't worry puppy I won't bite you._ "My picture was facing your poem," she giggled. "I was just happy it didn't end up next to a piece of trash."

His friend busted out laughing.

"Shut up Jase!" Ryan scolded, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

Jason inhaled deeply trying to catch his breath, "That forest scene right?" Gabriella nodded. "Wicked awesome man. Err girl... woman... lady person cough yeah." He lowered his eyes and twiddled his thumbs.

Gabriella let them squirm a moment before saying, "glad you thought so." Then she pointedly turned her attention to Ryan.

The girl cleared her throat loudly and latched onto Ryan's arm, "Come on Ry," she begged sweetly. "Shar's waiting."

"Go on without me Jess. I'll meet up with you later." he replied without hesitation. Jessica scowled but didn't budge from her place next to Ryan.

Ryan shrugged and continued with, "Jason's right, the picture rocked! It was like read my mind!"

"Same." she said as she sat down beside him; Jessica huffed. Gabriella smiled sweetly at Jessica and took Ryan's hand. She turned it over and softly traced the lines with her fingers. He didn't resist.

"What, are you going to tell my fortune?" he asked mystified, curious, and slightly dazed all at the same time.

She didn't respond. Instead, keeping a hold on his hand, she reached into her bag and pulled out a marker. She quickly scribbled her cell number on his hand and traced a five pointed star around it. Ryan held his hand out dumbly and Gabriella watched delightedly as his face lit up at the sight of her handiwork.

"You Jewish or something?" Jason asked. "Cuz that's totally cool," he said quickly.

"It's a pentagram," Ryan said in a soft voice that hinted that his mind was occupied.

"So she's a witch," Jessica hissed.

Gabriella offered a humorless laugh. _You obviously don't watch enough horror movies. A person who sees a pentagram on his palm is said to be a werewolf's next victim_.

"Are you a witch?" Ryan whispered teasingly.

Her stomach flipped and warmth flooded through her veins. She gave him a challenging look and said, "Why don't you find out?" She gave him a wink and sauntered away.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Gabriella yelled at herself. _He's a human. For Moon's sake... a scantily furred, soft skinned creature with only one form. How pathetic!_ He wasn't worth her time. So how did he manage to knock the air from her lungs, cause her stomach to toss, and make her brain turn to mush with a single look? She was about to scream when someone across the park beat her to it.

The voice sounded like an elderly woman. But who would torment the defenseless? Gabriella groaned- _The Five_ were back.

**A/N- Woohooooo! School's out! And no school means that I'll have oddles of time to write! So check out my other stories and tell what you want me to update first! And feel free to message me about any suggestions or ideas! Thanks! :-)**


	4. Don't Play With Your Food

A growl ripped through her throat as she sprinted across the park towards the source of all the racket.

Those demented, devious, ill-mannered, vulgar, insensitive, vile little louts. She'd made the mistake of sticking up for them before, but it wouldn't happen again. Not after it had cost her so dearly last time.

Gabriella cringed and shook away the painful memories.

They were such puppies. She regretted not letting he father nip them into shape. She regretted covering for them after Ambrose saw them in town after curfew. She wished she hadn't trusted them, believed their every word, helped them kill...

"Hey," she yelled. A thump sounded behind her and Gabriella turned to see a pair of legs sticking out of a bush. She sighed. "Oh Embry." he was always falling out of his seat, or in this case, trees. The others howled with laughter.

"Good one G," Daryn said as he brushed a tear away from his eye.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't terrorize townspeople. Someone will call the cops!" She growled menacingly.

"Aww come on Gabs. We were just having fun," Embry whined as he fought to get out of the bush. Gabriella smiled at him and helped pull him out. He was the youngest of her age-mates and only a few weeks older than her. He was the sweetest of the five and had always been her favorite.

"Yeah G. Chill out." Cameron said pushing Embry back into the bushes. Gabriella moved away to help him but Cameron blocked her way. "You used to think it was funny."

"How can you think scaring defenseless old ladies is funny?' she snapped. She pushed Cameron out of the way and saw Embry sitting on the grass licking his wounds.

"Relax princess pouch," a voice behind her said smoothly. "Don't be so stiff. It's all in the name of fun. Speaking of which..."

"Not a chance Marcus."

"Aww G. That hurts. Is it because I'm not a meat-boy?"

"What are talking about Marcus?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, we came to see you today and we saw you with Mr. Meat-boy. You looked pretty comfy, right Andre." The stone man grunted in agreement. He'd never really been much of a talker. "Didn't daddy dearest teach you not to play with your food?" he said cheekily.

This sent the guys howling with laughter.

"Shut-up Marcus!"

"Oh G. Please don't be mad. I got you something." he snapped his fingers and Andre handed him a box. His face turned serious as he opened the box and said, "I wanted to give you my heart." With that he tossed the box's contents at Gabriella.

She caught the organ and stared at it in horror. Suddenly a wave of relief washed over her and the anger kicked in. "Marcus you creep, this is a pig's heart." She hurled the bloody organ back at him.

He was laughing too hard to catch it and it hit him square in the face. The force knocked him backwards and he fell over a park bench. The other four fell to the ground laughing as Marcus tried to get up and tripped over the bike rack taking several bikes down with him as he fell.

Gabriella walked away with a smug look on her face.

"Don't give that meat-boy what we can't have," Marcus shouted after her. "We get what we want, by whatever means necessary." Another crash followed along with a string of curses and the boys' raucous laughter.

Gabriella's feeling of triumph was replaced with one of dread.

__

Ryan

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A/N- Yea! I love having so much more time to write. And I really like this story but I can't tell what you think because I haven't gotten ANY feedback. I'm dying to hear what you think. Do you hate it, like it, love it, have suggestions, ideas, questions, or requests? I'd REALLY like to know what YOU think about the story. So review or send me a message from my profile page. Thanks everyone. Hope to hear from you soon!


	5. Home Sweet Home

**A/N- Sorry I haven't really updated for a while. I got sucked into another story and just life in general.** **Anywhoz...**

* * *

Gabriella screamed in frustration as she walked into the house. Nell yelled something at her when the door slammed behind her but Gabriella just ignored her. Why should she listen to her when what she said never even registered with Nell?

But Gabriella really couldn't complain. She'd been Nell's "responsibility" for three years and in that time, she'd come to think of her as a big sister rather than her guardian. In fact, with their similar heights, heart shaped faces, almond shaped eyes, and mocha skin, they probably could pass as sisters; a mistake many strangers had made on more than one occasion. But other loup-garous could always tell the difference; bloodlines are very easy for other pack members to see.

"Gab..la di.. hear...? I ..at...y... is...! ...la!" worry and excitement emanated from her voice. But Gabriella couldn't make out what she was saying, the sound of the creaky steps she was going up mixed with something in the background and made too much noise.

"What?" she shouted as she reached the top of the steps

"...ere! He...ea...and...le...ch I didn't get...was...with a guy...e..ter...and..g...oom...oing...all...I...ot...ked. ..e's still...ous! ... lieve it!?" she babbled. Still too much noise and she was talking way too fast, like she always does when she's excited.

Gabriella sighed and smiled to herself. That combo could only mean one thing- _Nell met a guy_. No surprise there. She was always meeting new guys. Nell treats her personal life like her wardrobe; it changes day to day, if not from hour to hour. She just hoped this guy was better than the last few Nell had gone for.

The last boy toy Nell scored had been a loner from Montana. He'd heard about the pack and came to try to find work. He'd had piercings all up his ears, on his nose, lip, eyebrows, tongue, and across his forehead; fortunately, she'd never heard about him having them anywhere else. In her opinion, sixty piercings seemed like more than enough.

But that wasn't what tore Nell away from him. Oh no, what Nell didn't like was his... you guessed it, his wardrobe. He always wore the same jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket, and boots; and he rarely washed them. The stink, she said, was sexy but the repetitiveness was, well, repetitive. Repetition makes things normal and since Nell doesn't do mundane, Piercings boy was back out on the street within the first week.

The others had all been rockers, tattoo artists, motorcyclists, gang members, and artists. All of which had been just as "charming" as the piercings guy and none of which lasted much longer.

Gabriella laughed to herself as she reached her room. She immediately tossed her stuff onto the floor and fell back on her bed. She breathed in deeply and felt her heart slow to a gentle drumming. As she stretched out, she couldn't help but think about how it was good to be home. With closed eyes, she took in another deep breath of air, but the scent wasn't comforting this time.

Her eyes snapped open, her muscles tensed, her teeth became pointed, her heart began to race, adrenaline rushed through her veins, and her senses sprang to life. She was suddenly aware of every fiber of her being and of her surroundings. She could feel every wisp of air, hear every creak, taste every taste, smell every smell, and was especially aware of the figure standing in the corner near her now open window.

Even hidden by the shadows, she could distinguish every part of the intruder. She could tell from the outline that the trespasser was a male. And the way he stood, arms folded and leaning against the wall, illustrated that he was perfectly at ease.

Rage ripped through her and her eyes squinted as she continued to assess the figure. He had short, messy hair and was wearing loose fitting clothes. But they couldn't conceal the fact they he was very in-shape. He was also tall and thin, but his well-toned muscles kept him from appearing lanky or gangly. His bone structure wasn't bad either, he had nice features. And one in particular caught her attention, his eyes. They were a beautiful, radiant blue color which she found herself comparing to the ocean or the sky. But there was no comparison, his eyes effortlessly put them to shame. She found herself wishing that she could hear his voice.

Mother Moon must have been listening because as soon as the thought passed through her mind, the figure said, "Hello Brie."

Her entire body shut down and she gawked, there was only one being that had ever called her that. He'd been the only one allowed to call her that. But..._NO! It can't be him! He's not supposed to be here. He's off on some little adventure with... Damn it!_

It all made sense now. The Five hadn't just shown up, she felt so stupid. Of course Benito and the elders would never allow them to just come back. Their sentence had been clear and final, the five were not to return until they'd paid for their monstrosity and for the incurable damage they'd brought upon the pack. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the flood of memories, but a few wisps broke through.

The scene from the night of the trial flashed through her head, memories flooded her mind and all demanded her attention at the same time. A few wisps seemed to stick with her especially well: the way the moon had hid behind the clouds and cast an eerie light on them, the angry faces, Benito's raspy voice and hacking coughs, The Five's rebellious faces, and her protector's stone cold eyes.

The eyes that had always held so much comfort and warmth, the eyes that caught her father's eyes and convinced him to make the owner his heir, the eyes that had made her fall in love with him, the eyes she'd spent hours dreaming about, had been lifeless and dead. Those eyes had haunted her for months, even long after the nightmares ceased; the same eyes that were staring at her now.

"What? No hello?" he said raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. He stepped out of the shadows and slowly walked towards her. Her heart went into overdrive and her mind switched off when he reached the end of her bed. He rested his arms on the footboard and leaned in to whisper, "Didn't you miss me Brie?"

The mischievous and sarcastic look in his eyes made her blood boil. If she hadn't known better, she would have torn his eyes out right then. But she knew how to see behind his joking front and could see that he really was curious, and slightly nervous. And that sparked another wave of emotions. Every possible feeling was running rampant through her head. She felt like she was flying, falling, swimming, drowning, floating, and being crushed all at the same time.

__

Great Moon. Of all the possible times for him to come back, why did he have to choose now?

Gabriella couldn't decide how to feel. So she picked the one that always seemed to work; anger.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Just because you're some hot-shot who got to go handle some 'official council business' does not mean that you can just climb through someone's window and invade their personal space. I didn't pay too much attention in Mr. Hale's class but I'm pretty sure that there are in fact laws prohibiting that kind of behavior. And no smart-ass comments because after the day I've had, with the poems, and the teachers, and immature, jerkish, show-offey puppies who..." Her angry rant was suddenly cut short by the feeling of his lips pressing against hers.

She tried to push him off but he only deepened the kiss. Warmth rushed through her and her mind became hazy. Everything seemed to fade away and nothing else existed. It felt like she was floating, care-free, and just... free. She felt freed. It been so long since she's felt free. It been so long since she'd felt anything but numb. And the worst part was she'd never even noticed. She never knew she hadn't been happy. But she did now. Now she could remember what it felt like to be happy, to be safe, to be free, and she never wanted the feeling to end, but all too soon, it did.

She protested when he began to pull away but he just placed his finger on her lips and watched, waiting. The fog slowly began to fade and Gabriella felt herself being pulled back to reality. As her senses returned to normal she tried to remember what was happening. What was he doing here? Suddenly everything came back. School, the park, he'd broken into her room and she'd been furious. Why wasn't she furious? She tried to relight her temper, but she couldn't. She couldn't be angry with him, only with herself, because she was letting him in again. _He's just going to leave again._

"Gabriella." he whispered in her ear. Shivers went down her back. His voice, that sweet, sweet voice. She'd missed that voice so much when...

__

HE LEFT! I can't forgive him

.

"Gabriella?" he whispered.

__

No, stay strong. He left you. You needed him and he left.

"Gabriella?" he wasn't whispering now. He was crouched in front of her, and speaking in a rough voice. He was worried.

__

As he should be. I was so worried when I couldn't find him. When he disappeared. I didn't know where he was. He left me. How could he?

"Brie?" he said, worry no longer laced his voice, it was his voice. "Baby what's wrong?" he whispered caringly.

__

It's all just a ploy. This jerk thinks he can just toy with me and my emotions.

"How could he?"

"How could who? What happened?" anger and worry fought for dominance as he softly brushed the back of his hand against her face. Just like he'd always done to comfort her. "Tell me what happened baby." He slowly lowered himself onto the bed next to her. He held his arms open to her, inviting her to lay her head on his chest, something she'd always done when she told him something that was bothering her. But not this time.

She grabbed his wrists and threw him off her bed and onto the ground. "Who? What? Baby?" she growled as she pinned him to the ground and stared angrily into his shocked eyes. "You. You happened. You hurt me. You left. You messed me up. You toyed with me. YOU!" she screamed.

"Baby," he whispered.

"Don't call me that," she quivered. She choked back the urge to cry and tried to focus on how to breathe. But her breathes only came out in gasps. When had breathing becoming a chore? What was wrong with her? She stood up and shakily sat on the opposite side of her bed. After a few moments, she forced herself to look back at the traitor.

He hadn't moved off the floor but had shifted into a sitting position. He was staring at her with hurt filled eyes. His perfectly smooth features were twisted in pain and he cheeks seemed to glisten. She felt her heart drop into her stomach when she realized why. He was crying.

With effort, he slowly stood and looked at her. "Brie, I'm so sorry," he stumbled. "I didn't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. I did what I did for you. To help you." He began walking towards her, closely watching her face for her reaction. But she was paralyzed and her face was as unreadable as stone. "You have to believe me. I'd never hurt. I wouldn't Brie... I... I care too much about you. You know I do. Can you honestly say you don't think I care? Brie," he said reaching for her hand, "nothing in this world matters more to me. You are my everything. You are all that matters. Everything is for you." he said gently taking her hand. "All for you."

It was getting hard to breathe again. And having him so close was making her thoughts hazy. "Then why'd you go?" she squeaked. "Why did you leave me? Why didn't you tell me? Warn me?" her voice gained strength and filled with emotion. "I needed you. I needed you to be with me. To help me through everything. And you left," she shouted. All the anger she'd bottled up rushed out. "You left when I needed you the most. And you never told me why, where. Nothing. I knew nothing. I know nothing. Do you know how that felt?" Hot tears were flowing freely down her face now, and she didn't try to stop them. "Do you?" she asked.

The phone in the hallway rang, "Can you get that Gabi, I'm busy." Nell screamed. He stood speechless, the phone rang again. "Gabi?" Nell shouted.

"I got it." she yelled, her eyes still trained on the boy in front of her. "Do you?" she repeated. The phone rang again.

"Gabriella!"

"Hold on!" she screamed. Gabriella turned back and stared at him and sighed when she realized he wasn't going to say anything, "I think we're done here, agreed." she said. He opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted, "rhetorical question. Went I meant was that it's time for you to go. No," she said as she tried to speak, "Just go."

He didn't budge. "I said go!"

"Gabriella," he said carefully.

"Why can't you just go? It's never been difficult for you before." His face twisted in pain again. He turned and stumbled away from her like an injured deer, and grabbed the window sill for support. She stepped past the trembling figure and headed towards the door. Without turning around she said, "You've already done enough damage," she glanced back before exiting only to see that he was already gone. "He always leaves first." she mumbled. "Goodbye Troy." she whispered. The phone rang again and she sprinted down the hall to answer it.

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**A/N- I have to say that I love this chapter. prepare yourselves for the ryella-ness in the next chapters. And to meet "the amoeba." curious? review and I'll update!**


	6. Voices Change Everything

**A/N- School, sports, life, and no one seemed interested in this story. Those are my excuses and here's the next chapter. Thanx to those who reviewed.**

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Gabriella dived for the phone and fell with a thud. "Hello?" she breathed into the receiver.

"Uh... hi," a confused voice answered awkwardly.

Gabriella pushed herself into a sitting position and set the corded phone cradle in her lap. "Who is this?" she asked curiously.

"Uh... this is um... maybe I have the wrong number. I mean, my hand is kind of smudged and all so..."

"Ryan?" she asked brightly.

"Yes?..." he said nervously.

"Oh... that's great! It's Gabriella, if you're looking for me you have the right number." She smiled when the person on the other side sighed.

"What a relief that is," he breathed. "I thought I was about to embarrass myself into the next century." His voice sounded much more lively and confident now. It sent an electric charge through her.

"Oh I highly doubt that anyone could think you're anything but sincere," she cooed. She waited for a response but the only heard a soft gulp on the line. Why wasn't he answering? Had she broken some unwritten rule? Had she insulted him? She quickly backtracked. "I mean when I was talking to you at lunch, you seemed so... I don't know. It was like you just understood. That's why I was so happy when you called."

"Something wrong?" he said quickly. What a sweet puppy!

"Oh, just family drama. Some old friends came back to town and are nipping at everyone's tails...errr heels...errr... They're just being stupid," she huffed.

Ryan laughed. "Oh no need to explain. I know all about family drama. It's the story of my life. I am the founder, president, and head chair of the committee of "Adolescents Maliciously Ordained to be Effete By Adults."

She thought for a moment, "AMOEBA?" she giggled.

"Don't laugh. It's fits perfectly."

"Oh reeeaaally now?" she flirted.

"Yes rrrrreeeeaaaallllllllyyyy now," he said.

She smiled broadly at his response. She could just see his sweet, lopsided smile. Her stomach tossed and she hugged the phone cradle closer as she leaned against the wall. "Are you mocking me?"

"Noooooo, of course not," he chuckled. "Really Montez, would I do that to you?"

"I don't know wo..." she stopped suddenly. "How do you know my last name?" she snapped. She hadn't told him had she? No, she wouldn't tell him that. "Did you research me?" she demanded. Was he messing with her emotions? Could he have found out about her? She had to know

"I... I... I..."

"Answer the question," she barked harshly.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd get upset. I didn't mean to make you upset. It's just that... ok well it's kind of embarrassing."

"I'm listening."

"It's just that... you're so...you're such a..."

"Idiot, freak, misfit?" she offered angrily.

"What? No, no. Nothing like that. Why would you think that? Did someone say that to you?" he demanded.

Gabriella sat back, she hadn't expected that reaction from him. It confused her. "It's just that, well, everyone at school avoids me at all costs. I just thought, well.." she left off doubtfully.

Ryan's laughter poured in through the receiver. "You thought that... you think... Oh goodness Montez. You're a trip," he chuckled. "You really don't know do you?"

"Know what?" she questioned. She had no idea what he was talking about. It made her feel so unsure of herself. She'd never felt that way before, and she didn't like it at all.

"What everyone thinks about you?"

His question was met with silence.

"I'll take that as a no. Allow me to fill you in. Every guy at school is heels over head in love with you."

"Every guy, even you?" she teased lightly.

Ryan paused and cleared in throat. "EVERY guy in school is in love with you," he repeated. "Or at least with the way you look. And every girl envies you for it. People are afraid to talk to you because they're afraid they'll make fools out of themselves, or you'll turn them away. You're too good for them, and they know it. So they all just steer clear because they can't deal with it."

She was in shock. That was why they avoided her? Gabriella tried not to laugh. She'd thought it was because she wasn't human enough, but it was because she was too human? Was that possible?

"Oh," was the only response she could come up with. For a while, the two of them just listened to each other breathing. Gabriella felt completely at ease. The silence wasn't strained or awkward. It was nice. It wasn't like with the Pack. Her blood ran cold. The Pack! She gasped and pulled at the sleeve of her sweater and stared at her watch. _6:52_ -She was going to be late!

"He Ry, I've gotta go ok?"

"Oh umm... alright," he responded disappointedly. Why would he be disappointed? Then it hit her.

"Hey Ry, didn't _**you**_ call **_me_?"**

He gulped, "Well, yeah. I did."

"Something up?"

"I... Now's probably not a good time. Didn't you say you had to go?" he said nervously.

She had said that. But Ryan wanted to tell her something. Something that he was trying to put off, something important. She could feel it. She glanced back at her watch _6:53_. She sighed, she really did have to go. "Can we talk about it tomorrow then? How's lunch?" she offered.

"YES!! Lunch is perfect!! I mean, lunch is good. If that works for you," he said trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

Gabriella's heart raced. He wanted to have lunch with her! He was jumping like an excited puppy to spend time with her! "Perfect," she purred. "See you soon," she added before hanging up and running to change for dinner. 6:56 -She was going to be late. Hopefully no one would notice her absence.

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"I'm sure she'll be here in a moment," Nell assured them. "Gabriella's never been late before, she knows her place. If she's late, I'm sure she has a reason."

The council whispered and nodded in agreement. All except one member who paled slightly and stared at his feet.

"Very well. We will give Miss Montez five more minutes..." Benito started when the door flew open and a disheveled girl ran into the room. She was dressed in a purple floor length dress and her dark curls fanned freely down her back. The crowd muttered at her arrival.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she called out breathlessly. "I had a... a bit of a situation." She smoothed out her dress and untangled her hair and she rushed to her seat at the head of the table in the middle of the room. Before sitting she turned towards Benito. "I beg your forgiveness. It was wrong and disrespectful of me to keep you, the council, the pack, and our esteemed guests waiting. I accept the consequences of my carelessness, whatever they will be," she answered dutifully. She bowed her head waiting for his response.

The assembly quieted as Benito began to speak. "The consequences for disrespect and the insubordination are clear," he voiced loudly, his voice echoed throughout the hall. A few voices from the surrounding tables voiced their approval but they were quickly hushed.

"But tonight is not a night for punishments, it is one for celebration." Gabriella's head snapped up. Benito smiled warmly at her. "Our family has been reunited and the members have been remade. Now our pack will be stronger than ever as our eleven men return to us. And with them, they have brought back several survivors from their broken pack. We will welcome them with open arms and warm hearts, it is our way. Help them fit into their new lives, remember they are still healing. Give them time and be patient. We all know what it's like to lose everything in a misunderstanding."

Everyone howled in agreement. Benito smiled, "Welcome home wanderers, tonight we celebrate your safe journey. Everyone, enjoy!" The pack cheered and turned their attention to their families and the food sitting on the tables. The council spoke amongst themselves about their future plans. They occasionally addressed Gabriella and she'd give a short, precise answer before going back to staring at her plate. The council noticed her unease and soon gave up trying to talk to her. Benito gave her a knowing look but left her alone. But one pair of eyes never looked away.

Throughout the entire meal, she could feel his eyes boring into her. Pain and guilt radiated off him and she could feel him begging her to forgive him. She knew she couldn't stay mad long, but she was determined to show the council that not everyone was happy about their return. Gabriella looked around the room and saw everyone smiling and enjoying the festivities and sighed. Evidently she was the only one unhappy about their return.

She slumped in her seat and quit pretending they she was interested on the food in front of her. She regretted this decision as soon as she made it because the eyes' gaze immediately intensified and pulled at her heart. She was about to look up at them when Benito dropped his fork and doubled over in a coughing fit.

The room fell silent and watched as several council members tried to calm his coughing. Gabriella jumped out of her seat and kneeled at his side, holding his hand reassuringly. He squeezed back and handed it to someone else. She looked up and saw Troy standing on his other side with Gabriella's hand in his. They two looked questioningly at Benito.

"Work... it... out," he sputtered as two of his private nurses helped him into a chair and wheeled him away.

Everyone watched as he vanished behind closed doors, the sounds of his coughs slowly fading as they took him away. No one was in a celebratory mood anymore, and they slowly began to clean up and return to their homes.

"Gabriella?" Troy whispered softly.

Gabriella looked up at him blankly.

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

She continued to stare. She knew he really was sorry. But she couldn't bring herself to forgive him. Not after all he'd put her through. She turned her attention towards the floor and saw that her hand was still in Troy's. She tried to pull it away but he pulled back.

He pulled her close and gently forced her to look into his eyes. "I'm not leaving again. Benito promised me, and now I'm promising you. If we're not together, it's because you leave me. I won't hurt you like that again. I never meant to hurt you to begin with. Tell how to make it up to you and I will."

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears. He would stay. He'd be hers. They'd never be apart again. This was what she'd been waiting to hear. But instead of falling into his arms and never letting go again, she pulled away and ran out the door.

**A/N- Please review!**


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